ENFORCEMENT
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MESSAGE FROM THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY <strong>ENFORCEMENT</strong> COORDINATOR,<br />
AND CHAIR OF THE U.S. INTERAGENCY STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEES<br />
Photo credit: Ralph Alswang<br />
I have been honored to serve as the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, and as<br />
Chair of the U.S. Interagency Strategic Planning Committees on IP Enforcement. On behalf of<br />
the Office, and the Federal partners represented on the interagency committees, I am pleased<br />
to present the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement (FY 2017-2019), titled<br />
“SUPPORTING INNOVATION, CREATIVITY & ENTERPRISE: CHARTING A PATH AHEAD.”<br />
The Strategic Plan is a blueprint for the work to be carried out over the next three years by<br />
the Federal Government—with opportunities for state and local governments, governments<br />
around the world, and the private sector—in support of a healthy and robust intellectual<br />
property enforcement policy environment. It starts with an acknowledgement and celebration<br />
of the extraordinarily important role that the creative and innovative communities play in our<br />
cultural and economic lives: supporting over 45 million U.S. jobs, more than 50 percent of our<br />
exports, and incentivizing all forms of dynamic and enriching creative expression.<br />
The mission of the Federal Government in supporting creativity, innovation, and enterprise through the effective enforcement<br />
of intellectual property rights must be ambitious. The threats posed by patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, and the<br />
misappropriation of trade secrets, are real and multidimensional. Our work must be carried forward with a sense of urgency in<br />
order to minimize these threats and the often overlooked attendant harms that flow from IP-based illicit activities.<br />
The protection of intellectual property rights is about promoting economic prosperity and supporting jobs; opening new<br />
markets for U.S. goods and services; and fostering innovation and investments in research and development. It is also about<br />
standing up for our values at home and abroad. Trade in counterfeit goods, for example, compromises the integrity of domestic<br />
and global supply chains, and creates significant public health and safety risks for our citizens. Illicit trade also subverts human rights<br />
through reliance on forced and even child labor, and endangers the environment through irresponsible manufacturing and disposal<br />
practices. These and other illicit IP-related acts also undermine national security interests when, for example, sensitive trade secrets<br />
are targeted for misappropriation; or counterfeit goods enter critical private or governmental supply chains; or when these illicit<br />
activities financially support transnational organized crime networks.<br />
These threats are not limited to a single industry, nor do they fall under the purview of a single government agency or even a<br />
single country. They are cross-cutting in scope and global in scale. To address these and other concerns, the Strategic Plan lays out<br />
four primary, overarching goals during FY 2017-2019: (1) to enhance National understanding of the economic and social impacts<br />
flowing from the misappropriation of trade secrets and the infringement of intellectual property rights; (2) to promote a safe and<br />
secure Internet by minimizing counterfeiting and IP-infringing activity online; (3) to secure and facilitate lawful trade; and (4) to<br />
enhance domestic strategies and global collaboration in support of an effective IP regime.<br />
The Strategic Plan has been prepared to go beyond a compilation of abstract goals or objectives, placing heightened<br />
importance on the need for a detailed assessment of the challenges faced by creative, innovative, and law enforcement<br />
communities, domestically and overseas, with respect to IPR enforcement. By adding increased attention on the specific<br />
dimensions of the evolving IP enforcement challenges before us, we may better advance the development of narrowly-tailored,<br />
but strategically-aligned, solutions in the months and years to come. As such, this Strategic Plan represents the beginning of a<br />
continuous process, and not the culmination of one.<br />
This Strategic Plan represents a “call for action” for all nations—as well as international organizations, industry, educational<br />
institutions, and consumer protection and public interest groups—to provide forward-thinking leadership and a collaborative<br />
approach to combatting illicit IP-based activities. Together, we can enhance our enforcement programs and policies for the modern<br />
era, and ensure that collective efforts to curb illicit trade in counterfeit and pirated goods, online commercial piracy, trade secret<br />
theft, and other acts of IP infringement are maintained as a top priority.<br />
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY<br />
Daniel H. Marti<br />
Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator,<br />
Executive Office of the President<br />
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